Of all information sources, your county courthouse contains what is probably the
most valuable data about individuals and businesses. The county clerk's office
maintains the most useful information available, which can be searched either by
accessing free public databases online (when available), or by requesting a copy
from the agency holding the data -usually for a small fee. See
State Directory for individual State Records & Websites:

If you need to know the name of the county in which a city is located, you'll
find it in any good atlas, or check the US Postal Service Zip Code Directory.
Since people move frequently, it might also be a good idea to make inquiries at
courthouses in surrounding counties.

The county
courthouse contains several "records" departments:

Court records are kept at the courthouse, including those of circuit,
county, civil and criminal litigation.

The Department of Licensing maintains a variety of records including
occupational and fishing.

You may find it necessary to search seemingly unrelated records in order to
obtain certain facts that will lead you to pertinent information.

County data will help you with pre-relationship, child custody,
pre-employment, tenant, business background, and asset investigations.

County data are often forwarded to the state capital in summary form for
permanent storage, so if you need to see the entire document, first ask at the
local county courthouse about where everything is stored.

The County Courthouse Book contains useful data about what is
available in over 3,300 American courthouses.

Most
courthouses maintain an "Index to Records" that will give you information about
both the plaintiff and the defendant. This Index will also reveal the outcome of
each action. The Index should indicate where complete documentation is kept
concerning civil, criminal, and probate actions, IRS tax disputes, UCC filings,
liens, assumed names, and final judgments.

The county
recorder's office keeps records of births, marriages, divorces, and deaths.
These may also be maintained by the state Department of Vital Statistics or the
state department of health.

Most county recorder's offices require you to search personally. If the
recorder's office clerks searches for you, you will likely be asked to provide
very specific information. Many large courthouses will not conduct a search
requested by mail. Inquire about procedures and fees before you begin your
search.

Many states maintain indexes of past marriages. Marriages
performed by a Justice of the Peace might be maintained separately from the
actual marriage license or certificate. Ask the clerk to direct you or pull the
documents for you. For further information, check newspaper and church records.

To access these records, you will need: Names of persons who were married
and the date of the marriage

Divorce details are usually located in the Index of
Divorce Records which are maintained with other vital statistics - even
though they are officially court records. Filings for divorce will be listed in
the local paper. Also, check church records.

These filings contain information about estates in probate. This data can be
valuable if the deceased owed you or your business money. You may be an heir to
money or property. Generally, you must have permission in the form of a court
order to obtain any information.

Called "Registrar of Voters" in some states, the data this office keeps are
referred to as "Precinct Books" or "Roster of Voter Registration." These may not
be removed or copied. The county registrar will know where older records are
kept, such as a local or state library or the state archives.

County Civil Records

This is court documentation involving actions under $1,500 that list names of
plaintiff and defendant and contain all information relating to the outcome of
the litigation, including judgments and liens.

District Court/Circuit Court

The records are of actions valued more than $1,500.

Criminal Index

This index is a roster of all criminal convictions for a certain time period. It
discloses information about on-going cases. Each case is assigned a file number
- which will be helpful when accessing county, district, or circuit criminal
records.

County Criminal Records

Information about county-level misdemeanor cases here. County information is not
mutually exchangeable: there is no repository. That's unfortunate, but may
change in the future.
Search State or National Criminal Records

District/Circuit
Court Criminal Records

These contain information about felony cases. An individual's criminal record
may contain a photograph (called a "mug shot") and often the name of the bail
bondsman, who might have additional information which is not part of official
records.

Note:Criminal histories contain more information about an individual
than any other single public record! In most, but, certainly not all
states, this data is open to the public.
Search State or National Criminal Records

You furnish: Name and Date of Birth

The record will list:

Full name, aliases, addresses

Spouse and dependents

SSN & DOB

Driver's license number

Occupation, employer, type of business

Physical description

Charges and transcripts of trials

Attorneys

Probation reports

Traffic Records Index

This index lists all within the county and will give you the ticket number. With
that number, you can pull the file.

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